Child of the Wild Blue Yonder: yum

Banana Split French Toast

breakfast 9:45 PM

Hello, everyone! We're back!

Sorry for being MIA for so long- with the holidays we just found to be too busy to make room for posting. However, we are back, and more inspired than ever after having a little bit of time to relax and refresh.

It's very rare that I crave something sweet; I'm totally a savory-loving kind of girl, and Josh is my opposite, he has a zealous sweet tooth. This time around, I was really craving something sweet. It was time for dinner and I'm a firm believer that "breakfast for dinner" may be one of man kinds' greatest innovations. That's when this meal came to be: Banana Split French Toast!
My grandma (Babcia, in Polish) would always serve fresh fruit with breakfast, I consider it an essential. After deciding that French Toast is what I had my heart set on, Babcia's heaping helpings of fruits inspired me to head in this direction. Of course, this meal can be enjoyed at any time of day. Crave on, my culinary friends, and enjoy as you please.

What You'll Need:

(for French Toast)

-A Loaf of White or Wheat Bread (your favorite)

-4 Large Eggs

-1 Cup Milk

-1 tsp Vanilla Extract

-1 Tbsp Butter

(for Icing)

-1 Stick of Butter, softened (1/2 Cup)

-4 Oz Cream Cheese, softened

-3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

-1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

(Toppings)

-Chocolate Syrup

-Bananas, halved or sliced on a bias

-Strawberries, sliced

-Walnuts

-Rainbow Sprinkles

1. Add the cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl. Use either a standing mixer, or a hand mixer, and beat until smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla extract, and gradually add in the powdered sugar until everything is combined. Set the frosting aside so it continues to warm, and remain pliable.

2. Add milk, eggs, and vanilla extract into a bowl that is wide enough to dip the slices of bread in. Beat the ingredients together until combined. Dip the bread in, soaking each side, and set on a plate until ready to use.

3. Heat the butter in a frying pan. Add the toast, and cook on each side, until slightly browned. It shouldn't take too long, maybe 5 minutes on each side at most.

4. Cut up the fruits once ready to use! Drizzle or spread the frosting on top of the toast, add the fruits, chocolate syrup, and top with walnuts, and sprinkles!

(I think that whipped cream would also be amaaaaazing on this...)

Make the frosting first; you'll want to set it aside to soften even more.

And here is the KitchenAid! Lucky me, right!? Yeah, I'm totally aware that Josh has given me the best Christmas present EVER.

Here's the obligatory, "everything involved" picture. Also, how can I not include it, fresh fruit is just so aesthetically appealing.

Dip each slice, soaking both sides. Set the bread aside for frying!

Assemble, and enjoy.

Mediterranean Veggie Pita

delicious recipes 7:33 PM

I've always had somewhat of an obsession for the area around the Mediterranean Sea. For one thing, Moorish architecture, the ocean, and the food are all incredible! The colors associated with the Mediterranean represent life, and Josh and I try to do the Mediterranean justice with our food.

For this sandwich we chose to go all out, we made the pita bread ourselves. Personally, when everything is homemade, the meal becomes more satisfying. However, store bought pita bread is totally fine!

What You'll Need:

A Blender or Food Processor

Tzatziki

-1 Cucumber, peeled and seeded

-2 Cloves Garlic

-1 Tbsp Fresh Dill

-1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley

-1 1/2 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

-1 tsp Lemon Juice

-1 Tbsp Olive Oil

-1/4 tsp Salt

-1/4 tsp Pepper

Veggie Pita Filling

-1/2 Large Red Bell Pepper

-1/2 Red Onion, sliced

-1 Large Clove Garlic

-1 Cup Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

-1 Tomato, diced

-1 tsp Olive Oil

-1 tsp White Cooking Wine

-1 Tbsp Capers

-Crushed Red Pepper, to taste (optional)

-1/2 tsp Oregano

-1/2 tsp Basil

-1/4 tsp Marjoram

-1/4 tsp Fresh Parsley

-Pinch Coriander

-Pinch Cinnamon

-Salt and Pepper to taste

-Feta Cheese

-Fresh Cilantro

1. Make the tzatziki first, because you can easily just store the finished product in the fridge while prepping and preparing the rest of the food! Combine all the ingredients listed for the tzatziki in either a food processor, or a blender. Process over low speed until everything is blended together into a sauce. Set the tzatziki aside.

2. Prep all of the veggies for the filling of the pita. Set the veggies aside until you are ready to start cooking them.

3. Heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot add in the garlic, and stir constantly until the garlic is fragrant.

4. Add in the mushrooms, green peppers, capers, cooking wine, and all of the spices. Allow the cooking wine simmer, bring the heat down to low. Allow the veggies to cook for about 10 minutes.

5. Heat the pita in the oven if desired. We threw ours in the oven at 350º F for about 5 minutes. Fill the pita with the mushrooms, and top with tzatziki, fresh red onion slices, fresh tomato, feta cheese, and a sprig of cilantro.

Enjoy!

Start off with the tzatziki, you'll be able to keep this in the fridge while you

prepare everything else for your pita.

Then get to prepping! Everything is always easier when you've done your mise en place.

Just assemble, and enjoy. :)

Hearty Asiago, Mushroom, and Bacon Crepe

bacon 1:52 PM

I've really been wanting to make crepes for a while now, and the desire for crepes has lead me to brainstorming ideas for fillings -- at this point I feel like I have a near-infinite list of yummy crepe ideas. If you're more of a fan of sweet crepes, I'll be back with more!

These crepes turned out to be a spur of the moment thing. Josh and I always have Flour around the house, so I immediately thought of pancakes! We had eggs, bacon, and all the fixings needed for a fabulous breakfast for lunch. Yes, I am a firm believer in breakfast for any meal of the day. But for some reason, the idea of maple syrup was really putting me off - I wanted something more savory. Voila, Crepes!

The recipes I have included for you are a 1.) basic crepe 2.) tasty morsels to fill it with. :)

Basic Savory Crepe

What You'll Need:

-2 Eggs

-1/2 Cup Milk

-1/2 Cup Water

-3 Tbsp Melted Butter

-1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1. Combine the eggs and flour, beat together while slowly adding in the melted butter, milk, and water. Beat together until a batter of a very smooth consistency has been reached.

2. Melt a small amount of butter, just enough to coat the base of a medium sized frying pan. Heat the butter of medium heat and add enough batter to make a nice round crepe, to whatever size you desire.

3. Wait till the top of the crepe bubbles slightly, and flip once the underside has a golden-brown color. Do the same to the other side.

(I made my batter and set it aside in the fridge because it doesn't take much time for the crepes to cook. I cooked the crepes after sautéing the vegetables.)

What's inside....

What you'll need:

-1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes halved

-1/2 Sweet Onion sliced

-1 Cup Baby Spinach

-1 Cup Baby Bella Mushrooms sliced

-4 Strips Thick Cut Bacon sliced

-2 Cloves Garlic minced

-1 tsp Unsalted Butter

-1/4 Cup Milk

-3 Tbsp Porcini Mushrooms Sauce (we used Borgo de' Medici)

-1/2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

-Pinch of Salt

-Pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat, add the garlic and stir constantly until the garlic becomes fragrant. This really only takes a few seconds, once you smell the garlic add in the onions and stir everything together, coat the onions with butter. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until the onions look caramel in color.

2. Add in the mushroom sauce, and milk, and balsamic vinegar, stir and bring to a boil. Then add the mushrooms and asiago cheese. Stir continually until the asiago cheese melts in with the sauce

completely.

3. In a separate pan, fry the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Cut into bite sized strips and set aside.

4. Add in the tomatoes, and stir frequently. Allow everything to simmer in the sauce for about 5 minutes, and add the spinach until wilted.

5. At this point, I set my pan aside and fried up my crepes. If you have already made your crepes maybe heat them up or assemble them, and enjoy!

Remember that it's important to prep all of the ingredients before you get to cooking. It'll make the whole process smooth, and easy. Less stress is always good! :)

Josh's crepe is on the left, mine on the right. We always have fun setting up our own plates. I think the visual does a lot for the over all appeal of a dish.

(Crepe Filling nutrition info on left, and the crepe itself on the right!)

Smokey Chicken and Cauliflower White Bean Chili

cauliflower 2:00 PM

The leaves are changing, carved pumpkins are out on the front porch of almost every house, it's starting to get really cold at night. It's fall -- and chili season. Josh and I have come up with a wacky recipe that'll spice up your fall and keep you warm all night long. This chili is slow cooked so the flavors are thoroughly absorbed. It's a white bean chili that looks a bit unconventional, but has flavors that will not disappoint. It's smokey, has heat that packs a punch, and a combination of fresh and savory flavors.
Okay, so maybe cauliflower chili doesn't sound so appealing, but I hope this recipe can change your mind.

I will say, there is a lot of prep work that goes into this recipe, so I wouldn't go into this thinking it's just going to be a quick-dump slow cooker recipe. It's not, but if you're looking for a damn good chili, all the prep is worth it.

What You'll Need:

-A blender and Crockpot

for the Roasted Cauliflower:

-Half a head of cauliflower, chopped into florets.

-1 Tbsp Olive Oil

-1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

-1/4 tsp Onion Powder

-1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika

-1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

-1/4 tsp Cumin

-1/4 tsp Salt

-1/4 tsp Pepper

-1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock

for the Chicken:

-2 Large Chicken Breasts

-1 7 Oz can of Chipotles in adobo, removed from sauce and rinsed

-1 small Clove Garlic

-1/2 tsp Molasses

-1 tsp Worcestershire

-a Squirt of Lime per Chicken Breast

-1/4 tsp Pepper

-Pinch of Salt per Breast

for the Veggies:

-1/2 White Onion

-1/2 tsp Olive Oil

-1 small Clove Garlic

-1 tsp Brown Sugar

-1 Poblano Pepper halved and roasted in the oven

-you'll need less than a 1/4 tsp per pepper, and salt and pepper for each half

for the Crockpot:

-1/2 tsp Olive Oil

-1 15 Oz Can Corn

-1 15 Oz Can Great Northern Beans

-1 Cup Chicken Stock

-1 Large Clove Garlic

-1/4 tsp Cumin

-1/2 tsp Chili Powder

-1/2 tso Smoked Paprika

-1/4 tsp Salt

-1/4 tsp Pepper

for the Garnish:

-1/2 Lime

-1 Tbsp Cilantro

-Tortilla Strips (you can either buy these or bake your own using fresh tortillas)

-1/4 Cup White Cheddar shredded

I know this sounds like a lot, but managing all your prep work makes the whole process pretty manageable.... so, here goes nothing:

1. Start off with chopping: mince all the garlic, the onion, and half the poblano pepper. If you bought a head of cauliflower, cut it into florets. Set everything aside. Remove the chipotle peppers from the can and rinse them off. Bring out the crockpot, and set it to low. You'll end up periodically adding ingredients throughout the recipe.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 400º F, you'll be using it to roast a lot! Prepare your chicken by placing it in an oven safe dish and seasoning it with salt, pepper and a small clove worth of garlic. Sprinkle the chicken with lime, and cover it with the Worcestershire, and molasses. Make sure both sides of the chicken are covered, and put the chipotle peppers in the same dish. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.

3. Put the cauliflower in a bowl and mix it together with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, crushed red pepper, cumin, and salt and pepper. Rub the poblano with oil, salt and pepper. Place both the cauliflower and poblano in the oven on a baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until slightly browned. Be sure to keep an eye on the veggies, flipping them at least once.

4. Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan, and add a pinch of garlic. Once fragrant, add the onions and brown sugar. Coat the onions and stir frequently till the onions have caramelized.

5. Add 1/2 tsp olive oil, garlic, onions to the crockpot. Add the full can of corn, and beans, the chicken stock, and all the spices. Leave it uncovered. Remove the cauliflower and poblano from the oven and set aside to cool until they have cooled enough to be handled.

6. Cut the poblano into half inch cubes and add it to the crockpot. Put the roasted cauliflower, and vegetable stock in a blender, pulse until it is pureed. Add this to the crockpot as well.

7. Heat another pan over medium-high heat and sear the chicken. Once both sides have been charred transfer the chicken back onto the oven safe dish and put in the oven for about ten minutes, until it's cooked all the way. When the chicken is totally cooked pull or shred it into bite size pieces and add it to the crock pot. Put the chipotle peppers in the crockpot as well for added smokey flavor, but remember to pull them out before serving!

8. Stir everything together and cover the crockpot, allow to sit for 4-5 hours. Add the garnish before serving. As always, enjoy! :)